Chapter 114 - Unforeseen (1/2)

Within one of the stone rooms of the Area 52 Inheritance.

”Well then, this is definitely leagues beyond the previous version of the skill. If this was an extremely rare skill, then the difference might be more obvious.” After skimming through the description of the newly evolved skill, Aurus could not help but mutter and sigh in amazement as to how much the skill has improved.

The previous version of the skill, [Boundless Spirit Tempering], at its max level, would only give a stat boost of 30% to Aurus' base stats. That's it.

But now that Aurus has evolved it to [Essence Refinement] (shortened because who would want to read the full name many times), this stat boost was increased to 50 percent, and that boost was not even from the max level of the skill, allowing one to see the might of a Transcendent grade skill when compared to a Mortal grade skill. Not only that, the skill also obtained another effect, which enhanced the efficacy of soul-based techniques by 50 percent.

Aurus pondered about this effect for a short bit and wondered, ”Do I have any soul-based techniques on me?”

He opened his skill list through the system and read through every skill he had, but alas, he had no soul-based technique whatsoever. But with that came another question to Aurus' mind.

”Why do I feel like my mind is sharper and clearer than before I evolved the skill?”

He pondered on this question for around a minute or so. After seeing that he was getting nowhere, he could not help but say, ”Bah, I'll find it out sooner or later. I must first focus on upgrading [Essence Refinement] as much as possible, as well as use the Learning module to level up the other low-leveled skills I have.”

And that's what he did all throughout the remaining time of the first trial.

Closing his sense of vision to enhance his perception and sensitivity towards the existence of the essence that made up his spirit, he then started to absorb energy from the surroundings in a unique way wherein the energy would pierce through the essence, expand towards the spirit, and explode towards the body.

Although it was his first time levelling the newly evolved skill up, the proficiency of how he absorbed energy from the surroundings in this unique manner seemed like he has been practicing the technique for months already.

Not only that, even the exterior appearance of Aurus changed after evolving the skill to Transcendent grade. When he was still levelling the skill while it was Mortal grade, rays of light that seemed like it came from the heavens would emit out of his body. This time, it was around the same category, but more profound.

Rather than emitting light all throughout his body, the light instead coalesced on a few spots on his body, specifically, his head, where his throat would possibly lie, where his heart would possibly lie, and the four limbs on his sculpture form. And while absorbing energy from the surroundings, all of that energy would head towards the light on his head before making its way downwards, as if the light on the head was a dantian and the other lights were meridians, the energy he absorbed being qi.

Then again, the closest thing to qi in the world of Erudinia was life energy that existed within the bodies of Animates, and it operated quite differently from qi... doesn't say it's impossible though.

...

Ding! Ding!

'[Flux Armor Creation] and [Flux Enchantment] has reached the MAX level.'

'Both skills have met the necessary requirements and are ready to evolve.'

Hearing these notifications from the system, Aurus, who was levelling the trial's skill up, could not help but be surprised at the speed of maxing out low-leveled skills through the module.

Splitting a small part of consciousness to pique his curiosity, Aurus was able to find out that skills within the Learning module would obtain 5 XP per minute at its current level, which meant that enhancing it would allow it to give more XP per minute.

”Hm...this would definitely be useful for those skills I have hard time raising,” Aurus muttered inwardly.

”Evolve both skills before removing them from the module.” After piquing his curiosity, Aurus, who had split a small part of his consciousness to stay alert for updates in the system, responded to the system's notification not long after.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

'[Flux Armor Creation] has been evolved to [Better Flux Armor Creation].'

'[Flux Enchantment] has been evolved to [Better Flux Enchantment.'

'Both skills have been removed from the system's Learning module.'

After receiving a few more notifications from the system, Aurus stayed silent for a bit as the energy from the surroundings continued to head towards the multiple lights. He then commanded the system a few seconds later after making a decision in his mind.

”Place [Flux Sacrifice] and [Greater Illusion Resistance] into the Learning module.”

Ding!

'Both skills have been placed into the Learning module.'

After hearing the notification from the system, Aurus then went back to putting his full consciousness towards the levelling of the skill given to him by the trial, passing through a few more grades as time passed.

While evolving the skill to higher subgrades, Aurus noticed that the weird phenomenon that happened when he evolved the skill from Mortal to Transcendent grade did not repeat itself, but rather, evolved like normal in a sense.